Where oh where have all my posts been!

Well once again I have neglected my poor blog. So I thought over the next few weeks I would try to fill in the spaces with lot's of pretty eye candy and what I have been up to these last few months. I told myself I was not going to make excuses but, at least a bit of an explanation.

First, my botched shoulder surgery has made typing and a ton of other things frustratingly difficult and it seems everything takes twice as long. I was using Dragon speaking software which was fantastic but, my poor old computer could not handle it. My honey set me up with a newer better version but for some reason it won't let me install it...time to have my hubby's tech buddy over for dinner! :)

Second, I have been having quite a bit of trouble with my auto immune disorders. My rheumatoid levels have been way up for months on end. I ache all over and have a general feeling of a touch of the flu, not to mention the rashes and troubling hair loss. But I have been able to avoid the steroids and rounds of antibiotics...well, only because I refuse to take them. I have been avoiding GMO's and buying meat and veggies directly from local farms.I have also been trying some natural remedies and I do seem to be improving some, although slower than I had hoped.

Third, Things have not been going well with my son-in-law. None of the treatments, not round after round of chemo, not radiation, not a stem cell transplant, not vitamin therapy...nothing has worked...and he is now out of options. It has been hard to come to grips with. He is so young and they were just starting out...it all seems so cruel and unfair. Not to mention the absolute horrors I have discovered in the medical system. Rockefeller constructed and controlled. Don't believe me...do a search. Not to mention the nightmare that is Obama Care. We are all just besides ourselves.

Ok, enough of that. On the glass and jewelry end I have been working more and more with sheet metal and trying all sorts of new things. One new technique I dabbled with was torch enameling. Very cool and I plan to do a lot more playing with it in the future. Here are a few pieces I did.

Torch enamels on copper.

I also received a Cuttle Bug embossing machine as a gift. An amazing little machine with so many possibilities I can't wait to explore. Here are a few different metals I ran through the machine, examples of torch coloring,  soldering and some fold forming.

24 gauge sheet run through Cuttle Bug machine.

Flame patina n more metal.

My bench after a few days work.

Prong setting and bezel setting attempts.


I have also been playing with some glass enamels and paint on recycled glass from home printers. I have been working on a line of small upcycled bowls. These are from color and firing schedule tests...more later.

Here are a few shots of finished jewelry.

Copper with soldered sterling spirals. Not bad for a first attempt.

Bracelet with one of my dichroic cabs and lampwork beads. 

Fold formed copper with heavy gauge wire and Citrine nuggets.

Thanks for stopping by! I do hope you enjoyed your visit. I do have more to share. Hopefully I will get my Dragon software working and you will see a lot more of me.